The Glorious History Of Sausage Rolls

Right, gather round! The bunting's out, someone's already asking "is it too early for a Pimm's?", and there's a very good chance a picnic blanket is about to be flung across a patch of very dry grass!

The summer bank holiday is almost here! And no British spread is complete without the nation's favourite pastry parcel: the sausage roll…

But before you reach for one (or three), let's take a wander through the surprisingly well-documented history of the sausage roll - a tale involving ancient empires, French pastry, Victorian street vendors, and finally, the rise of the gluten free sausage roll!

Hang On – Is The Sausage Roll Even British?!

Brace yourself, because this one stings a bit. The sausage roll, arguably the most British thing since queuing and apologising to furniture, didn't actually originate from Britain at all!

Historians trace the basic idea of wrapping meat in dough all the way back to Classical Greece and Rome, where cooks were already parcelling up seasoned meat in pastry. It was essentially the ancient world's answer to meal prep!

Food that travelled well, kept its shape, and didn't need a plate!

French Influence (and a Rather Timely War…)

After a fair few centuries, the sausage roll developed into a version we'd actually recognise today! Pork wrapped in pastry… this can be generally traced to France, before later taking off in London during the Napoleonic Wars of the early 1800s. Turns out a bit of Anglo-French rivalry didn't stop us nicking their best pastry ideas!

We even have paper evidence to prove it: back in 1809, the Bury and Norwich Post mentioned a 75-year-old street vendor called T. Ling, described as an "industrious vendor" flogging saloop (a ye olde hot drink), buns, and sausage rolls.

So next time someone tells you sausage rolls are a "modern invention," you can smugly inform them there's a newspaper clipping from over 200 years ago that says otherwise!!

The Sausage Roll Conquers Britain!

By the Victorian era, sausage rolls were solidified as a street food staple. They were generally sold by "pie men" outside factories, markets, and pubs up and down London, dishing out cheap, portable food to workers who needed something quick and filling!

From there, the sausage roll properly cemented its place in British life and years later nothing’s changed! Today, one bakery chain alone (you know the one) sells around 2.5 million ‘sausage rolls’ every single week - that's roughly 140 million a year!

 Tuck shops, buffet tables, football grounds, garden parties... there's always been a place for a proper sausage roll, and bank holiday weekends are no exception!

The One Snag: A Lack Of Gluten Free Options

Here's where the story takes a slightly less golden turn. For years, if you were coeliac or gluten intolerant, the sausage roll was a picnic basket you simply couldn't dip into.

 Everyone else was tucking in at the bank holiday BBQ while gluten free guests were left eyeing up the crisps and hoping for the best. Not exactly fair, is it?

Thankfully, times, and pastry recipes, have changed!!

WE believe gluten free diets deserve a proper gluten free sausage roll - not a sad, soggy substitute!

Here's what makes ours worth shouting about:

They're handmade in our dedicated gluten-free bakery down in Devon, these award-winning beauties bring back everything you love about a classic sausage roll - minus the wheat!

Where Will You Take Yours...?

So this bank holiday weekend, whether you're hanging out in the garden, or out and about... do it properly! Whether you go classic or reach for one of our gluten free sausage rolls, you're taking part in a tradition that's travelled all the way from Classical Greece!!

Not bad for a pastry-wrapped banger, is it?

Go on - Take a Chunk!